Class: 7th Chapter: New Political formations in the 18th Century

Q.2) (Very Short and Short Answer Type Questions)

a) Who were known as King-makers during the period of the Later Mughals?
Ans. The Sayyid brothers, Husain Ali and Abdullah were known as the King-makers during the period of the Later Mughals.
b) Why is Jaipur known as the Pink city?
Ans. Jaipur is known as Pink city because most of its buildings are painted in the color pink.
c) What were the administrative steps taken by the Nawabs of Bengal?
Ans. The Nawabs of Bengal took a number of steps for efficient administration of Bengal in terms of restructuring the
administration, effectively tackling corrupt and inefficient officials, encouraging the growth of agriculture, trade and industry, and
regularizing the collection of revenue.
d) Write a short note on Shivaji.
Ans. Shivaji (1627-1680) was the son of Shahaji Bhonsle. He founded the Maratha Empire and is remembered as a just King. He
is well-known for his benevolent attitude towards his subjects. He brought revolutionary changes in military organization, fort
architecture and politics. He expanded the boundaries of the Maratha Kingdom. His brilliant strategic maneuvering in battlefields,
good management and administrative skills helped him to lay foundation of the future Maratha Empire in India.
e) Examine the land revenue administration of the Marathas.
Ans. Land was divided into Swarajya (under Maratha control) and Mughlai (not directly under Maratha control).Two kinds of
taxes were levied on Mughal lands—Chauth, which was one-fourth of the produce and Sardeshmukhi, which was an additional
one-tenth of revenue to be given in the form of tribute to Shivaji.In the Swarajya land, each farmer paid two-fifths of his produce
to the state as tax, either in cash or kind. During a famine or a bad harvest, grains and money were advanced to the farmers, and
they could repay the same in easy installments.
Q.3) (Long Answer Type Questions)
a) Describe the war of succession, which took place after Aurangzeb’s death.
Ans. The Mughals did not have a clear succession policy. Shah Jahan ascended the throne by killing his kith and kin. The
successive Mughal rulers also ascended the throne through bloodshed. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707,.his sons, Bahadur
Shah, Muhammad Azam and Khan Baksh were engaged in a war of succession .Bhadur Shah emerged victorious and ascended
the throne in 1707-1712. His son Jahandar Shah was murdered soon after ascending the throne. After this, two nobles known as
Sayyid Brothers conspired to put Farrukh Siyar(1713-1719), Bahadur’s nephew),on throne. The Sayyid Brothers know n as ‘King
makers’ deposed Farrukh Siyar and put Muhammad Shah(1719-1749) on the throne. Mohammad Shah was the young grandson of
Bhadur Shah. Thus, these wars of Succession tarnished the image of the Mughal rulers.
b) Write a short note on the reasons for the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Ans. The downfall of the Mughal Empire is mainly contributed to the weak successors of the Aurangzeb and his policies.
Aurangzeb being a strict ruler and the wealthiest rule of the Mughal Empire was unable to hold together diverse sections of the
population and involve them in the process of governance. His policy of annexation also proved futile, while depleting the military
and financial resources of the empire. Moreover, the Manasabdari system had lost its importance since the powers of the
Mansabders and Subedars went unchecked. The collection of revenue from the provinces became uneven as the centre was unable
to control the regularity of the process.
Aurangzeb’s strict political policies also angered the Sikhs, the Rajputs, the Jats and the Marathas who rose in revolt and
shattered the stability of the Mughal Empire.Inefficient Successors of Aurangzeb, stagnation in intellectual and military spheres,
and lack of advancement in military equipment further contributed to the decline of the Empire.
c) How was the state of Hyderabad established in medieval India?
Ans. The state of Hyderabad was established by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah.He was one of the most powerful members at the court
of the Mughal Emperor, Farrukh Siyar.He was the governor of Awadh and Deccan provinces. So, he had already control over the
political and financial administration of the Deccan area. As the competition among the court nobility increased and the political
situation of the area worsened, he took the political command in his hands and became the ruler of Hyderabad state in 1724
CE..He founded the Asaf Jahi dynasty and his successors, were known as the Nizams.
d) Why did peasant rebellions take place in medieval India?
Ans. The Peasant rebellions took place in medieval India because of increasing taxes on them by the Mughal governors. They
were often deprived of their very means of survival. They were also induced by powerful Chieftains to consolidate their own
positions. In many areas they took to flight. They made large scale migration to towns or other villages and often protested against
the state by refusing to pay the revenue and were up in arms against the Mughals.
e) Describe the Sawi Raja Jai Singh’s achievements.
Ans. Sawai Jai Singh of Amber (1681-1743 CE) was the most notable Rajput ruler. He was a brave warrior, able administrator
and a shrewd statesman. He received the title of ‘Sawai’ (one and a quarter) from Emperor Aurangzeb. He introduced changes in
Indian warfare and raised the power of his armed forces to the maximum. His regular army however exceeds 40,000 men.
His achievements include the foundation of the city of Jaipur and the construction of scientific observatories (Jantar Mantars)
with modern advanced instruments in Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Banares, and Mathura. He actively took up the cause of women and
fought against the inhuman practice of sati.